Territorial A-Z

John Brown portraitAuthors:Ruggles, Quartus Date: 1855-1859John Brown portrait by Quartus Ruggles, 1889. Brown was an abolitionist who came to Kansas in 1855. Although in the territory for only about three years, he was involved in several skirmishes and helped free some Missouri slaves. Brown was hanged for treason on December 2, 1859 for attempting to overtake the U.S. arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia.

Keywords:Art; Artist; Brown, John, 1800-1859; Free state cause; Harpers Ferry, Virginia; Objects; Osawatomie, Kansas Territory; Ruggles, Quartus; SlaveryLetter, J. H. Kagi to "My dear Sister"Authors:Kagi, John HenryDate: December 27, 1857On December 27 (or perhaps 29), Kagi wrote this letter to his sister from Springdale, Iowa, in the midst of "a very long & tedious journey." He informed her that his party would leave on the "cars" for Chicago soon, but cautioned her "not for your life" to tell anyone where he was or what he was about, and told her that he would soon be taking an assumed name. [According to historian Stephen Oates, To Purge This Land With Blood, John Brown returned to Kansas in November 1857 and enlisted Kagi and a few others in a new company, which set out in early December for Ohio and some additional training in preparation for Brown's planned assault on the Slave Power in Virginia; on the way, around numerous campfires, Brown apparently encouraged and instructed his young recruits on the just nature of their cause, etc. As it turned out, the company wintered at Springdale while Brown went alone to Ohio.]

Keywords:Brown, John, 1800-1859; Harpers Ferry, Virginia; Kagi, John Henry; Springdale, IowaLetter, Kagi to "My Dear Sister, father and others"Authors:Kagi, John HenryDate: August 13, 1858By June 28, 1858, J. H. Kagi was back in K.T. at Lawrence, and on August 13 he was writing the family from Moneka, Linn County, where he had "been very busily engaged in fortifying along the State line to prevent further inroads from Missouri." [See J.B. letter of August 3 to Wm. Hutchinson in which he speaks of building the fort on the site of the Marie des Cygnes Massacre.] In an unusually open and frank few lines, Kagi wrote: "C. W. Moffet and two of the other boys (whom you have not seen) are in Ashtabula Co., Ohio. Some have gone to Harpers Ferry. We are all ready and in good spirits. Things are working rightly, here, and brightening elsewhere for our final work. Those who once thought us the most foolish, now think most cheerfully of the whole plan." He closed by asking that they write him at the "Whitney House" in Lawrence.

Keywords:Abolitionists; Brown, John, 1800-1859; Charles Town, Virginia; Harpers Ferry, Virginia; Slave power; SlaveryLetter, L. F. Parsons to "Dear Friends Redpath & Hinton"Authors:Parsons, Luke F.Date: December 1859Parsons, "a soldier under John Brown" in Kansas, who fought in the battles of Black Jack and Osawatomie (see, Twenty-fifth Biennial Report, KSHS, 135-136), wrote this letter from Osawatomie to James Redpath and Richard J. Hinton in response to their "notice in the Republican in regard to publishing the life of John Brown & associates at Harpers Ferry & your request for information." In addition to his Kansas activities, Parsons was with Brown and company in Iowa during the winter of 1857-58 and mentions, as did Kagi and others, the "Lyceums" conducted by Brown around their evening campfires and the "thorough course of military instruction under Col. Whipple as Drillmaster." Parsons, who was obviously proud of his association with Brown, apparently just missed being in on the Harpers Ferry raid--he had returned to KT during the long wait and was not recalled.

Keywords:Boston, Massachusetts; Courts; Handy, William; Harpers Ferry, Virginia; Higginson, Thomas Wentworth, 1823-1911; Redpath, James, 1833-1891; United States GovernmentLetter, [William] Handy to My Dear Sir [Thomas W. Higginson]Authors:Handy, William Date: April 6, 1860This letter was written by William Handy of Boston and was addressed to Thomas W. Higginson, a supporter of John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry, Virginia. Handy wanted to let Higginson know about a meeting in Boston to decide upon a plan of action. By this point, John Brown had been executed and several of his followers had fled the country. Most of those who remained in the United States wanted to resist the government; consequently, Handy emphasized that at this meeting "none but fighters are eligible." Handy believed that it would not be wise to rely on the legal system to give Brown's supporters a fair trial. Handy also spoke of a beautiful pistol that would soon be presented to Miss Sanborn "for her bravery in defending her brother." He also mentioned that Franklin Sanborn had been arrested in Concord for some misdemeanor; he was unsure of the details.

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This file was last modified September 12 2013 04:09:26 PM.